"You didn''t know? No, it''s not that you didn''t know. You simply thought you were immune to repercussions because you''re from the Khielson family. Wouldn''t you say?" Scott sneered.


    "T-That''s not true at all!" Hector raised his head and nced at Analise. "I was just trying to teach her a lesson. How was I supposed to know that it could lead to such a serious oue?"


    "Rx, Scott. You''re scaring him." Analise rose to her feet and pulled him back a little. "From what I can see, he didn''t cook up the whole scheme.


    "Moreover, he''s already injured. If a fight breaks out and something worse happens, the Khielson family will get their panties in a bunch again."


    Analise gave Scott''s palm a gentle squeeze, hinting to him that he could drop the act for now.


    Turning around, he returned to his work desk and pointed at Liam.


    "Seeing as you preserved the evidence and didn''t do anything too terrible, I will just sentence you to 20shes and spare you from the dungeon cells.


    "Fiy, take him away." Scott waved.


    "At once." After Fiy led Liam away, Scott got up, closed his office door, and locked it.


    "W-Why did you lock the door?" Hector was scared and a little shocked.


    "I don''t think someone with your mental capacity could''ve cooked up an intricate scheme like that. Did someone show you how to do it?" Analise walked around Hector twice.


    "N-Nobody taught me anything!" Hector shook his head at once, but he instinctively avoided her gaze.


    "Really?" Analise chuckled. "Why did I get word that you are quite close to your third dad?"


    The therians in the Interster therian world would only refer to their biological fathers as "Dad". The rest of their mothers'' mates had to be addressed ording to their rank.


    Jamari was Lily''s third mate. So, Hector called him his third dad.


    "He''s one of my fathers, and I''m his family. It''s normal that we''re close." Hector''s gaze followed Analise as she walked.


    For some reason, he regretted his actions a little when he saw on Cosmoseek how she calmed the males. Now that he saw her in person, the guilt in his heart deepened.


    The thing was, Hector had been pampered since he was a little boy. How could he possibly bring himself to apologize to someone?


    "Hmm. I guess you''re right." Analise nodded and fell silent. Then, she gave Scott a look.


    "I received news that you''ve been secretly contacting The Reimers," Scott said.


    "That''s a load of bullshit! Why would I have anything to do with The Reimers?" Hector immediately flew into a rage as if someone had stepped on his toes.


    "Really?" Scott pulled up footage on the interface, which captured the moment Mark bumped into Hector and Jamari meeting with members of The Reimers. Scott leaned on his work desk and tapped its surface. "I believe that''s you."


    "Um..." Hector became visibly panicked. "We didn''t know that he was a member of The Reimers. We were deceived as well!"


    "Oh? Is this admission?" Scott turned off the interface and stared at Hector.


    "I mean it. We were deceived. We didn''t work with them!" Hector exined anxiously. "It didn''t even ur to us that they were from The Reimers until we learned that someone from that organization was caught."


    "Everyone who was in cahoots with The Reimers denied having conspired with them. Why should believe you?" Scott raised his hand and tapped his temple. "What''s more, you are the youngest heir of the Khielson family. I have reasons to believe that you intend to conspire with them to take my position."


    "That''s not true!" Hector was immediately stressed out. "I just want to be stronger! I haven''t made a breakthrough in my mind essence for three long


    years."


    He pursed his lips and added, "They told me that they developed a new reagent that could boost mental essences."


    "Is that your reason for conspiring with them?" Scott pressed.


    "I said I didn''t! I just wanted to grow stronger. That''s why I met with them to buy the reagent!" Hector roared. He was so flustered that he raised his voice, not giving a care about who he was talking to.


    "So, did you get the reagent? Did you drink it?" Analise frowned. It felt like the


    whole thing spiraled into a more convoluted mess.